Voice
by Ave Summa That
Summary: My first try at a movie story, set just after the movie end. Lara is disturbed by a voice. CHAPTER TWO: The voice causes more than enough trouble with Lara and Hillary.
1. Voice

I don't own Tomb Raider, Lara Croft, Bryce, Hillary, Alex West or Pimms. I do, however, own the voice...for the moment.  
  
I would really appreciate some feedback on this chapter. It's the first "serious" Tomb Raider story I have tried, and it seems to be going somewhere. So if you could tell me what you think, and what I could improve, etc., I'd really like that. Hopefully, there will be more chapters! If you want them, that is. ;-)  
  
-Also, I can't seem to be able to do HTML, so the bolds and italics don't work.  
  
  
  
Voice  
  
By Miss Natla AKA SSStarfish  
  
  
  
The night air was cool against Lara's face. She closed her eyes, deep in thought over the day's events. It seemed like years since that first night, the first night of the allignment. When the clock had started ticking. And now she had solved the puzzle, and, once again, killed her competitor. Powell. The world was bound to be a better place now he had gone.  
  
"Miss Croft?" A man's voice came from behind her. Lara leant back from the window and closed it. She turned and smiled at Hillary, her butler, who was in the doorway.  
  
"I washed your clothes." He smiled, and went other to her cupboard to put them in. Lara sat down on her bed, and watched Hillary arrange her clothes. What would I do without him? She asked herself.  
  
"Probably a lot more than you are able to with him about." a voice told her. Lara frowned. That was in her head, surely...but why would she think such things? Lara brushed away the thought. She obviously was still annoyed with Powell, and her anger was coming out on Hilly. She was tired, that was all.  
  
"Early night, Miss Croft?" Hillary asked. Lara nodded.  
  
"Please, Hilly."  
  
Hillary left the room, and Lara walked into her bathroom to get washed. She was brushing her teeth when she heard a voice again.  
  
"I bet they're after the treasure."  
  
"Who?" Lara caught herself asking.  
  
"Hillary, Bryce, Pimms...and especially Alex. You know what a little gold-digger he is."  
  
Lara felt her head, worried. Perhaps she was ill. She put her toothbrush up and staggered to her room. Pulling on her pajamas, she fell into bed. It had been a long day.  
  
*****  
  
"Rise and shine, Lara."  
  
Lara opened her eyes, but didn't bother to sit up. Perhaps a lie-in today, she thought. She closed her eyes and rolled on her side and slowly drifted off to sleep.  
  
"I said, rise and shine, Lara!"  
  
"Go away." Lara muttered, waving a hand into the air as to push the interrupter of her peace away.  
  
"No."  
  
The radio alarm clock suddenly burst into life. Maximum volume, a DJ with an annoying voice and an even more annoying name was belting out a cheery good morning to his listeners.  
  
"Rise and Shine people, it's a beautiful sunday morning...."  
  
"Okay, Okay, I'm up!" Lara punched the 'off' button on her alarm clock and slipped out of bed. She rubbed her eyes, and staggered off to the toilet.  
  
*****  
  
"Bugger."  
  
Lara stared at the mess in front of her. The tables had been knocked over, the artifacts scattered all over the ground. Even the T-rex head mounted above the fireplace was missing a few teeth.  
  
"Bugger!" Bryce appeared behind Lara, still in his night-clothes. "What the hell happened here?"  
  
"I...I don't know." Lara shook her head in disbelief. How had anyone got in here? The secret room had no windows, and only she and Hillary knew how to get in.  
  
When she had gone to check the room, this morning, it had been closed. No evidence of break-in whatsoever. But as soon as the door open, a tank, the one containing the Iris she had taken back from Von Croy some three years before, fell in front of her and smashed. It had somehow been placed over the door.  
  
"I bet it was Hillary." the voice whispered. "Only he knew the way in and you didn't do it."  
  
"Maybe is was." Lara muttered, but then shook her head. No. She shouldn't think that.  
  
"My god!" Hillary ran into the room, wrapped in a dressing gown. He stared at the shattered glass on the floor outside the room, and the wreck inside.  
  
"Hillary?" Lara looked at him. "You didn't do this, did you?"  
  
Hillary looked at her, shocked and hurt.  
  
"Of course not." He told her. "I wouldn't do such a thing."  
  
"He's lying." The voice told her.  
  
"No." Lara whispered. She smiled at Hillary. "No. Of course you didn't. Just checking."  
  
Hillary waved a hand at Bryce.  
  
"Come on, Bryce, lets get this mess cleaned up." he touched Lara lightly on the shoulder.  
  
"You go to bed, Lara. It's been a shock for you. We'll sort it out later."  
  
"Okay. Thanks, Hilly." Lara turned and began to walk to her room. She passed Pimms and Alex who were standing on the landing, watching the scene.  
  
"My goodness. What happened?" Pimms asked out loud.  
  
"Room got broken into, idiot." Alex told him. He turned to Lara.  
  
"Lara. Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes. I'm fine." Lara smiled at the two.  
  
"Bet he helped Hillary." the voice said, as Lara walked into her bedroom.  
  
"Who?" Lara asked. Then tapped her forehead. "Shut up."  
  
"Alex." the voice replied smoothly. "You know he's always doing what he likes. And he wanted that stuff, so he got it."  
  
"But nothing was taken." Lara couldn't help saying. She got into bed and layed down.  
  
"He's still here, isn't he?" the voice said, smoothly. Lara started drifting off to sleep.  
  
"Night, Lara."  
  
"It's not night." Lara muttered, drowsy.  
  
"I know."  
  
"Who are you?" Lara asked, almost in a whisper.  
  
"Just a well-wisher."  
  
"I don't need well-wishers."  
  
There was silence, and finally, Lara heard, before she fell asleep:  
  
"Yes you do." 


	2. Trouble with the man

"So...nothing was taken?"  
  
Lara stared at the police woman in front of her.  
  
"No."  
  
The police woman - PC Nelle - wrote something down on her pad, and stepped into the wrecked room.  
  
"All this stuff," she gestered around her. "This is yours, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes." Lara frowned.  
  
"Okay."  
  
Hillary appeared next to Lara. He had been the one that called the police, and Lara hadn't been to best pleased with him.  
  
"Stupid Butler." the voice said. Lara sighed. It was back again. That voice....it didn't even sound like her. It had yesterday, but now it seemed to have it's own characteristics. It was smooth and calm, and deeper than her.  
  
"Would you like some tea, madam?" Hillary asked PC Nelle.  
  
"Er...no thanks, sir." PC Nelle clicked her tounge. "I'd better get back." she turned to Lara. "Miss....Lady Croft, we'll be investigating this further. We'll get back to you."  
  
"Thank you." Lara turned to Hillary. "Hillary, show PC Nelle out, please."  
  
"Certainly." Hillary bowed slighty, and touched PC Nelle lightly on the shoulder. "This way, madam."  
  
Lara made her way to the kitchen to find Bryce sneaking about in the fridge.  
  
"Lunch will be soon, Bryce." Lara told him, closing the fridge door. Bryce whined and sloped out of the room.  
  
"I'll make lunch for you, Lara." said Alex, who was sitting at the dining table with Pimms, reading a magazine.  
  
"You can cook?" Pimms asked him.  
  
"Yep." Alex smiled, puffing out his chest, proudly. "Can you?"  
  
"No." Pimms laughed, nervously. "I was terrible at it at school. One time, I accidently set fire to one of the curtains in the home ec. room. It got completely burnt out, and couldn't be used again for ages."  
  
"Oh...really?" Lara made a mental note never to leave Pimms alone in the kitchen.  
  
"That Pimms...a total idiot." the voice whispered, as if it was scared it could be heard by Pimms and Alex. Lara frowned. She had to agree. But she liked Pimms, and Alex. She enjoyed having them staying with her, and after all that had happened at the Tomb of Ten Thousand Shadows, she felt close to them.  
  
"It's okay, Alex." Lara smiled. "Hilly makes lunch. It gives him something to do between...making breakfast and making dinner.  
  
"What a boring pratt." said Alex. Well, his mouth moved, and the voice said it.  
  
"Hilly is not a boring pratt!" Lara gave him a horrible look. Alex looked shocked.  
  
"I didn't say that. I said 'Okay then.'."  
  
"Oh." Lara frowned. "Okay."  
  
"Are you alright, Lara?" Alex had a worried look on his face. Lara sighed.  
  
"Yes." she started walking out of the room. "I'm going up to my room."  
  
*****  
  
"Who are you?" Lara demanded, addressing the voice. She paced back and forth in her room.  
  
"I told you." the voice replied calmly. "A well-wisher."  
  
"How...why am I hearing you?" Lara asked.  
  
"You're insane."  
  
"I am not!"  
  
"What other explanation do you have?"  
  
"I..." Lara was at a loss. She was mad. After all, only mad people here voices in their head...don't they?  
  
"I'm tired." She decided. "I need a good rest."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"I'm not going to listen to you." Lara told the voice. "You'll be gone in a couple of days."  
  
"Sure. Sure I will."  
  
"You will!" Lara shouted, angry at him. Yes, she had determined; the voice was male. It was deep and smooth, and didn't sound like a woman.  
  
"Lady Croft?" Lara heard Hillary outside the door. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes, just...er.." Lara looked around desperately. "Er...reading a play!" she went to the bookshelf and selected "Shakespeare: The animated tales" from it. She sat on the bed and opened it.  
  
"Okay." Hillary paused for a second. "Lunch is ready."  
  
"Be right down." Lara called, and tossed the book on her bed. She opened her bedroom door and followed Hillary downstairs.  
  
*****  
  
"Night, Lara!" Alex called to Lara across the landing.  
  
"Yes. Good-night, Lady Croft." Pimms added. Lara smiled, and waved at them both.  
  
"Good-night Alex, Good-night Pimms." She watched them go into their seperate rooms, then went into hers. Hillary was there, stacking more clothes in her wardrobe.  
  
"Sorry, Lady Croft, just putting some more clothes in."  
  
"That's okay." Lara smiled. She felt good. The voice had stopped talking since lunch, so she felt like her old self. She sat on her bed and watched Hillary again.  
  
"Hilly..." she began.  
  
"Yes?" Hillary asked, head inside wardrobe.  
  
"Do you ever get bored?"  
  
"Bored, ma'am?"  
  
"Bored of living here and buttling for me."  
  
"Of course not, ma'am. My life is here."  
  
"But wouldn't you like to go off, get married, have kids...?"  
  
"You are the only woman in my life, Lady Croft. And I never cared for children."  
  
"Creep." said the voice.  
  
"Oh, come on." Lara was persistant. "Surely you want to lead a normal life, sometimes?"  
  
"Normal?" Hillary looked slightly hurt. "My life is normal."  
  
"Oh no it isn't." said the voice. Only he was using Lara's mouth, and Lara said the words herself.  
  
"I think it is." Hillary paused from his clothes-stacking and looked at Lara. "Anyway, even if it isn't...I enjoy it."  
  
"Sad." muttered the voice. "Don't you think?"  
  
"Yes, I think it's sad." Lara muttered back. She noticed the shocked and deeply hurt expression on Hillary's face and felt guilty. He'd heard her. Why didn't she say that? She didn't think his life-style was sad!  
  
"Oh, Hillary, I'm sorry!" she told him. "Really, I am."  
  
"It's alright, ma'am." said Hillary, in a pained kind of voice. "These things sometimes just...slip out."  
  
"But Hillary, I don't think you're sad!" Lara protested. "I don't know why I said it."  
  
"Maybe you thought it out loud." Hillary replied.  
  
"But I didn't!" Lara cried.  
  
"Yes, Miss Croft. Now," Hillary turned to go. "If you'll excuse me, I will retire to my room."  
  
"Yes, Hillary. Sorry again!" she called after him, as he left the room. She collasped on her bed. What had she done? Poor Hillary, he was so hurt.  
  
"I'll apologise tomorrow." she decided. She got ready for bed without anymore disturbances from the voice, and settled down to sleep.  
  
*****  
  
Lara knew something was wrong, the minute she woke up. Her night had been filled with many mad dreams...distored faces, screams, bodys wrapped in chains. It was all so hazy now. But she remembered the image, no, it was more of a feeling, before she woke up. Total happiness. But not the good happiness. An evil happiness, such as being proud when you hurt someone, or feeling good after seeing somebody die. A bad kind of happiness.  
  
But now she was awake, and not happy anymore. In fact, Lara was scared and distressed. She knew something was wrong. She didn't know why, it was just a feeling. But she had to get up, get up now.  
  
Running out on the landing, she crashed straight into Alex, who came out of his room and appeared in front of her. She quickly picked herself up and started running again, but Alex caught her arm and spun her around.  
  
"Lara, what's wrong?" he asked her. "Why are you running?"  
  
"Nothing, Alex. Really." Lara tried to struggle from his grip, but he was strong.  
  
"Lara, don't lie. You look scared stiff." He told her.  
  
"Alex...somethings wrong. I don't know what, but it is. I have to go, I have to..."  
  
"Have to what?" Alex asked.  
  
"Have to check...on him."  
  
"Who?" Alex looked confused. "Bryce? Pimms?"  
  
"No." Lara sighed. "I don't know. I mean...I..." It suddenly clicked.  
  
"Hillary!" she cried. "Have to get to Hillary!"  
  
"Hillary?" Alex almost laughed. "Why?"  
  
"I don't know." Lara muttered, breaking free of Alex and tearing down the hall to Hillary's room. She stopped outside to catch her breath. Alex was right behind her as she opened the door, and saw him before she did. Lara stared a few seconds at the empty bed before her. She heard Alex gasp, and her eyes wandered around the room, the bookshelf, the wardrobe...then to the window sill. She cried out.  
  
Hillary was slumped on the window-sill, blood trickling from his mouth. He was dead. 


	3. Sweet Madness

Lara stared at Hillary, her Hillary, dead on the windowsill. He had deep grooves in his neck, where, Lara supposed, he had been strangled. By what?  
  
"Lara, I..." Alex voice cracked.  
  
"No. No." Lara whispered. She stared at Hillary for one more moment. Their eyes met for a moment, and then Lara cried out. She ran out of the room and back to her bedroom, throwing herself on the bed.  
  
"No! NO! NO!!" She screamed, sobbing. "He can't! He can't! He...I...no! Please, Please, Please, Please..." The words stuck in Lara's throat to create one mournful wail.  
  
"Dead." the voice whispered. "Dead, dead, dead."  
  
"Go away." Lara wailed.  
  
"Dead as a dodo. My, he's dead, oh so dead, very, very...dead."  
  
"Shut up!!!" Lara screamed, flinging her pillow around. The voice laughed.  
  
"What's the matter, Lara, upset?"  
  
"Leave me alone!"  
  
"You don't want to be on your own."  
  
"Go away! I hate you! I HATE you!" she sobbed. "You did this!"  
  
"No, you did." the voice replied quietly.  
  
"Wh-what?" Lara sat up, almost calm again,  
  
"You upset him, Lara. Perhaps he agreed with you. Perhaps he thought his life was sad. And who wants a sad life?"  
  
"No!" Lara whispered.  
  
"Yes, Lara. You drove him to death."  
  
"I didn't. I DIDN'T!" Lara banged her fists against the wall. "No! NO!"  
  
"Oh, Lara." the voice sounded smug. "Always in denial."  
  
"ShutupshutupshutupshutupSHUTUP!!!!!" Lara jumped up and began running round the room, screaming and crying.  
  
"It's no use. You're a murderer."  
  
"No!"  
  
"Murderer, Murderer, Murderer." the voice chanted.  
  
"I...I..." Lara's head was swimming. "I wouldn't."  
  
"Oh, you would, Lara. You would."  
  
At this point, Lara fainted.  
  
*****  
  
"Lara? Lara? Lara. Wake up."  
  
"Alex?"  
  
Lara opened her eyes, and stared up at Alex, his face concerned, his eyes red. Pimms and Bryce were behind him.  
  
"Are you alright?" Alex asked her. She sniffed.  
  
"I..." Lara closed her eyes.  
  
"I know, I know." Alex stroked her forehead, gently. "Stupid question."  
  
"Oh, Alex!" Lara suddenly sat up and hugged him. "I...I..." she started weeping again.  
  
"It's okay, Lara." Alex hugged her back then helped her to her feet. "I called the police, and the ambulance."  
  
"What...are they here?" Lara asked.  
  
"No. They've taken the body for tests, and they're coming back tomorrow."  
  
"At noon." Pimms added.  
  
"Bloody hell, Lara." Bryce came forward and put an arm around her. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Of course she isn't, you dope." Alex scowled at Bryce.  
  
"Yeah." Bryce waved a hand at him. "Poor Lara. Poor Hillary."  
  
"Yes. Poor, poor, Hillary." Lara whispered. "Do they know how he died?"  
  
"They think it's suicide." Alex told her.  
  
"But...there was nothing in the room that he could have killed himself with."  
  
"They found a chain. Under his pillow."  
  
Lara shook her head. This didn't make sense.  
  
"How would he have had time to put it back..."  
  
"The police don't know." Bryce said.  
  
"That's why they're coming back tomorrow." Pimms explained.  
  
"It's lunchtime, Lara." Alex said, softly. "Shall I fix something?"  
  
"Please." Lara closed her eyes and allowed herself to be led downstairs.  
  
*****  
  
"Who wants tomatoes?" Alex called from the kitchen area.  
  
"I will." Bryce replied.  
  
"Er..No, thank you." Pimms said.  
  
"Lara?" Alex asked. She sniffed.  
  
"Yes, please, Alex."  
  
"Okay." Alex continued cutting vegtables. "So, Lara, when are you going to show us the full excellence of Surry?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, like she's really going to feel up to that." Bryce said sarcastically. Alex ignored him.  
  
"You could show us the towns, and all the places of interest, and..."  
  
"What a loser." the voice said.  
  
"Maybe." Lara agreed. "See how I feel."  
  
"I can show you my new bug, Pimms." Bryce said. "He can climb up things."  
  
"Oh, well, yes, I'd like to see that." Pimms smiled, then, as if suddenly bitten, frowned. He nodded his head in apology to Lara, as if he was sorry for smiling when he should be grieving.  
  
"Okay, lunch!" Alex brang over two plates and gave them to Bryce and Pimms, then fetched the other two plates for himself and Lara.  
  
They ate lunch in silence. Lara stared at the empty chair on the end, the fifth chair. Hilly's chair. He always sat there, watching everyone eat, looking pleased and expectant. He had loved his simple life, his job at the mansion. Simply exsisting there was good enough for Hillary.  
  
Once again, Lara felt tears prick her eyeslid. She wiped them away quickly, but Alex noticed.  
  
"Lara..." he placed a hand on her arm.  
  
"No." Lara shook his hand away. "It's okay."  
  
But it wasn't okay. Her jacket potato stuck in her throat, and she couldn't taste properly. Her mouth wouldn't chew, her hands wouldn't hold the cutlery properly. She dropped a carrot, covered in cucumber down her top.  
  
"Silly Lara." said the voice, only in Hillary's warm, caring voice. Lara gasped, and jumped up.  
  
"Lara...?" Bryce gave her a worried look.  
  
"I..." Lara backed away from the trio. "I have to go, now." she hurried out of the room, and up the stairs. Although she meant to go to her room, instead she went to Hillary's. Locking herself inside, Lara walked around. It was exactly how he left it. Clean and tidy. Books stacked in the bookcase, clothes folded neatly in his wardrobe...she went to his bed and picked up the picture he kept on his bedside table. A picture taken a few years ago, when it was just Hillary and Lara at the mansion. It was taken by a passer by when Lara and Hillary had gone to Bognour for the weekend, to relax on the beach. Hillary looked different in his shorts and sunglasses, but his face was the same old Hillary, same old loyal butler. Lara felt the tears streaming down her face, but she didn't stop them. Instead she lay down on the bed, head in the pillow. She could still smell Hillary on that pillow, the smell of the aftershave he used everyday. But it was fading. Lara grasped the pillow and thrust her face further into it. No, she couldn't get it, it was gone. Still, she had an idea. Standing up, she walked to the bathroom and rummaged through the shelves. Aha. Hillary's Lynx, the one she bought him this christmas. Lara took off the lid and sprayed. All over her body, her hair, her face...she inhaled deeply, but it wasn't enough, she had to keep going. The can ran out, but Lara couldn't stop here. Grabbing Hillary's shampoo, she smothered her hair in it...and when her hair was done, all over her body, on her clothes. Then for his toothpaste, squirting it straight into her mouth then brushing her teeth as well, using Hillary's toothbrush. His floss, his razor...she scraped at her face, imagining Hillary, shaving each morning, doing this. She wiped away the few trickles of blood caused by the razor, and found his aftershave. She rubbed this all over her too, everywhere she could reach on her body. It burnt on her cuts, but she didn't care, she was closer to Hillary than ever before. Hillary, Hillary...his face filled her mind as she staggered back into his room. She could hear banging on the door, and voices, but she didn't care. She was so close, nearly with him. Opening his wardrobe, Lara took a minute to stare at all the garments inside. Shirts, trousers, jackets...Lara flung herself in, and closed the doors. In complete darkness, and she could almost hear Hillary, almost *see* him...and then she knew it was impossible. And Lara fell into a deep, calm sleep. 


End file.
